Allocating capacity for prioritization

This section will explain how to use capacity allocation to ensure technical backlog items are also prioritized with business backlog items.

Developing long-lasting, healthy systems requires well-balanced backlog distribution between functional and technical backlog items. Inclining more toward functionality increases operational overheads, and dents an organization's ability to respond to customer needs rapidly. Philippe Kruchten used the zipper metaphor to emphasize the importance of weaving functional and architectural activities together in the IEEE paper Agility and Architecture: Can They Coexist?. He observed interleaving architecture elements in the plan is essential to avoid accidental architecture.

In agile teams, often friction exists between the product owner and architects while prioritizing features for development, as illustrated in the following diagram:

Figure 6.5 – Friction between architecture...